1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grinding apparatus for grinding a welded residue which remains at the connecting seam of a rail head when a rail is connected.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
As used herein, the terms rail head and head portion of a rail are used synonymously.
A known apparatus for grinding a rail head is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 60-181402. This conventional grinding apparatus is designed for reproducing a rail and chiefly used for prolonging the service life of the rail by correctly reshaping very small convexities and concavities, or damages caused as a result of long use of the rail. In this conventional grinding apparatus, a grinder is rotatably supported by each support element of a windmill-like support member. The support member is rotated to position a selected one of the support elements. The upper surface, arcuate surface and side surface of the rail head are ground by the grinder of a selected support element.
Although the known apparatus performs the function of grinding a rail, it has the following shortcomings. Since the apparatus is constituted of a grinder, a relatively long period of time is required to complete a grinding operation. Further, the preparatory set-up for a grinding procedure requires selection of one of several grinders including support elements that must be brought to a desired location of the rail head. Consequently, the grinding procedure is complicated and arduous.
The present invention has been developed in response to the above described shortcomings of the known grinding apparatus.